I think I woulda spoken up a little sooner.

[Boomhauer]

wtf is a bear siren?

Oh, you should have been there to see this one. This lady and her friend came into the ranger station the other day. While said lady goes to the restroom, her friend pulls me aside and tells me that the lady is paranoid about bears and will probably ask me about them, and that she has a "whistle". I said, OK, if she asks I'll talk to her about them and try to calm her down...and I just assume she has your normal whistle that you blow into.

Lady returns from the restroom and starts going on about the bears so I try to educate her a bit. She goes "Well, if I see one, I've got THIS!" and sets of this retarded, loud, piercing electronic siren.

[lupinus]

...thats some "whistle"

[Harold Tuttle]

A buddy had some interesting times with a polarbear that determined that long pig was the best menu item one winter

He eventually had to abandon the fortified cabin as the bear would not stop attempting to break in and eat him.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I always understood that black bear generally fall into the "more scared of you then you are of it" catagory, unless something taught them human equals food.

As with most predetors, they want "easy dinner" more then "challenging dinner", and they tend to define challenging as anything willing to bark back.

[Harold Tuttle]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America#Black_bear

[Harold Tuttle]

Herrero says that based on his research, he believes people in bear country should just back away from mother black bears with cubs but should stand their ground and appear threatening toward a male black bear that seems predatory. "Stomp at it, throw rocks at it, whatever you need to do to convince it you’re not easy prey,” he says.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2011/05/11/1857426/study-most-black-bears-that-kill.html#storylink=cpy

[Matthew Carberry]

Herrero says that based on his research, he believes people in bear country should just back away from mother black bears with cubs but should stand their ground and appear threatening toward a male black bear that seems predatory. "Stomp at it, throw rocks at it, whatever you need to do to convince it you’re not easy prey,” he says.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2011/05/11/1857426/study-most-black-bears-that-kill.html#storylink=cpy

Yup, if "looking big" doesn't work you play dead with a brownie and fight a black.  The brown bear typically will dish out a beating and leave, a black bear that pushes an attack has usually decided to eat you.

[MrsSmith]

Those are the same movements my dog makes when he's play fighting with me.  I wonder if  Wiley just wanted to play.

I'm at work, so the sound is off.  Maybe there were sounds that painted a different impression.

Chris

I had the sound on and that was my first thought too. No growling, no bared teeth, hackles not raised, and the same exact movements my dog makes when we're playing. Also, the yote didn't latch down on the guy's boot, just nipped at it. If she'd have wanted to take it, she'd have done so. Beautiful animal but I still probably wouldn't have held my hand out to her like he did.

[cordex]

I had the sound on and that was my first thought too. No growling, no bared teeth, hackles not raised, and the same exact movements my dog makes when we're playing. Also, the yote didn't latch down on the guy's boot, just nipped at it. If she'd have wanted to take it, she'd have done so. Beautiful animal but I still probably wouldn't have held my hand out to her like he did.

Years ago when I was younger and dumber, I ... ah ... was connected with the pickup and delivery of a coyote from an individual not allowed to have it to an individual with proper state - and perhaps federal? - licensing to possess the critters, then back again once the proper licensing was in place.  Maybe three or four state lines were crossed ... I no longer choose to remember. 

Anyhow, in doing so, I got to meet some wild and "tame" coyotes.  Not a single one that I met (even one that lived in the house with the lady who ran the rescue operation) acted as tame as the coyote in that video.  Sure, he would let me pet him, but only while baring his teeth and snapping at me every once in a while.

The one we transported had been raised by humans since it was a pup but it would only tolerate females and only liked its owner.  So much as having other people nearby would cause it to cower behind - but never in - its house.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Cordex,

Roger the wolf did the same thing.
The only people he let touch him where katie and louise, but only if they where alone with him. The rest of the time, he kept his distance and cowerd.